Guess They Liked the Movie Better

It’s no secret that the world is going through a recession right now. (Or at least the media tells us that an uncountable number of times a day.) However, it appears that the movie-going public isn’t aware of this. The Los Angles Times reports that:

Audiences seeking an escape have bolstered the industry’s U.S. box-office revenue to $1.8 billion this year, up more than 17% from the same period last year.

The same day I heard this news, I read in the April 2009 issue of The Writer that the book publishing industry has been hit so hard that some publishers are even suspending new acquisitions (Leddy, Chuck. “Economy dampens publishing.” The Writer Apr. 2009: 8-9.). More here from Publisher’s Weekly.

So, to get this straight, people will pay $10US or more (over $15CAN) to watch an hour and a half long movie that is probably only so-so, instead of spending $9.99 or less on a paperback book that will last them a week or more and (horror of horrors!) allows them to use their imagination. Amazing.

Go out and buy a book. Keep writers in business. Read to your kids. Buy them books. Literacy is important.

This is a message from your friendly, neighbourhood bookworm. Now maybe I should go put in an order to Chapters… Any recommendations?